THE INSIDE TRACK | MORNING BRIEFING

Flutie Might Not Share Opinion of Jurgensen

Hall of Fame quarterback Sonny Jurgensen, who shared his Washington Redskin time with Billy Kilmer in the early 1970s, knows a thing or two about quarterback controversies.

"It's a very easy position to play when it's not your job," Jurgensen said. "When it becomes your job, it's a very difficult position. I always used to tell the backup quarterback, 'Just keep your mouth shut and I'll make you the most popular guy in town.' "

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Trivia time: Who are the only coaches in the four major professional sports who have won championships with three teams?

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Weather report: Greg Comella, the blocking back for the New York Giants' Ron Dayne and Tiki Barber, has been nicknamed "Cloud" by teammate Ron Stone. Why?

"Without a Cloud, there ain't no Thunder and there ain't no Lightning," the Giant guard told the Boston Globe.

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From one who knows: Richard Petty had a few words of advice for Darrell Waltrip, who retired as a NASCAR driver last month.

"You just keep on going," Petty said of retirement. "You still gotta get out of bed in the mornings and you still got a family and you still have a life to lead. Your life may be a little bit different, but things don't change all that much."

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Comparative sports: From Bernie Lincicome of the Rocky Mountain News: "The difference between pro wrestlers and politicians is only in the amount of clothes worn. Both make loud promises, strut around without really doing anything and stay in business by fooling the public."

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The TV view: From a cartoon in Speedway Illustrated:

Question: Do they call this NASCAR race a 500 because it's 500 miles?

Answer: No. Because there are 500 commercials.

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Owner friendly: Say what you will about slightly quirky Dallas Maverick owner Mark Cuban, who gets fined so often by the NBA that he should probably open a charge account, but at least he is generous to his employees.

Cuban is giving leather jackets, complete with a Maverick logo on the back, to players, coaches and trainers--in time for Christmas. He also gave a $3,500 computer to each player.

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What's important? Boston Celtic players have won 10 NBA most valuable player awards--Bill Russell, five; Larry Bird, three; Dave Cowens and Bob Cousy, one each--yet nobody playing for the Celtics has won the NBA scoring title.

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Diversity: NASCAR truck owner Bobby Hamilton says he will choose among Willy T. Ribbs, Bill Lester and Tim Wood of Chino--all African American drivers--to become a teammate of veteran Joe Ruttman in 2001. No black drivers are competing full time in any of NASCAR's top series.

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Political punditry: Blackie Sherrod of the Dallas Morning News says: "An old-timer is one who thinks the Long Count refers to the 1927 Dempsey-Tunney fight."

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Trivia answer: Scotty Bowman, with three NHL teams, Detroit, Pittsburgh and Montreal; and Guy Chamberlin, with three NFL teams--Canton, Cleveland and Frankford, Pa., during the 1920s.

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And finally: Before North Dakota played No. 2 Kansas, basketball Coach Rich Glas told his team: "They put their pants on the same way we do. They just pull them up two feet higher."